[OVERVIEW]
name: Choice Band
move 1: Rock Slide
move 2: Double-Edge
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Hidden Power Ghost / Hidden Power Flying
item: Choice Band
ability: Rock Head
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
========
Other Options
=============
Pursuit can be used to trap a Deoxys-A locked into Extreme Speed or with Attack drops from Superpower. It almost always OHKOes after one layer of Spikes, but the physical coverage is more useful overall.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Groudon**: Groudon can switch into any of Aerodactyl's moves rather comfortably and threaten to cripple it with Thunder Wave or OHKO with Rock Slide if invested.
**Fast Revenge Killers**: Rock Slide Deoxys-A and weather sweepers like Omastar and Kabutops outspeed Aerodactyl and threaten to OHKO it.
**Steel-types**: Metagross can threaten to OHKO Aerodactyl with Meteor Mash, while Forretress and Skarmory can shrug its hits off and set up Spikes. Jirachi can take its STAB options and Double-Edge and 2HKO with Ice Punch. Metagross and Jirachi must be wary of Earthquake, however.
**Status**: Paralysis from Body Slam Snorlax, burn from Ho-Oh's Sacred Fire, and all other status effects can limit Aerodactyl greatly.
**Deoxys-D**: Deoxys-D avoids being 2HKOed by any move from Aerodactyl, but it can be broken after Spikes with Hidden Power Ghost, so it must be careful with entry hazards up.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Fc, 511624]]
- Quality checked by: [[Lasen, 273339], [Inspirited, 127823]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Itchy, 518399], [autumn, 384270]]
- Aerodactyl's niche is as one of the fastest Pokemon in the metagame; it Speed ties with Mewtwo and is only outsped by Deoxys formes and niche weather sweepers, which allows it to revenge kill common Pokemon like Latios and Rayquaza.
- Aerodactyl's good strong coverage attacks like Double-Edge and Earthquake assist in cleaning through weakened teams as well.
- A large draw for Aerodactyl is its resistance to Normal, forcing common Choice-locked Pokemon such as Deoxys-A, Rayquaza, and Snorlax to switch out, giving Aerodactyl an opening to wallbreak.
- Aerodactyl is still slower than Deoxys-A—the tier's best revenge killer and one of the most common Pokemon, so Aerodactyl can only act as a temporary answer to Choice Band Extreme Speed. This makes it much harder to utilize than Deoxys-A, as giving an opponent's Deoxys-A room to attack can be devastating.
- Aerodactyl does have some competition as a revenge killing Flying-type as well, as Rayquaza has a powerful Extreme Speed, which is better against fast Pokemon like Deoxys-A and Salac Berry Groudon.
name: Choice Band
move 1: Rock Slide
move 2: Double-Edge
move 3: Earthquake
move 4: Hidden Power Ghost / Hidden Power Flying
item: Choice Band
ability: Rock Head
nature: Adamant / Jolly
evs: 4 HP / 252 Atk / 252 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Set Description
=========
- Aerodactyl is best used as a revenge killer and cleaner, utilizing Rock Head Double-Edge as its best move against neutral targets and its good coverage options to break weakened teams.
- It can threaten offensive foes like Latios, Rayquaza, and Ho-Oh, as well as defensive Pokemon like Blissey and Lugia to give its team momentum or a foe a strong hit from itself.
- Earthquake forms the EdgeQuake combination with its STAB Rock Slide to pressure a large majority of the tier, but Earthquake is punishable by the many Flying-types and Pokemon with Levitate in the tier.
- Hidden Power Ghost deals more damage to Latios, Latias, Dusclops, and Gengar but doesn't have the STAB boost and lack of immunities that Hidden Power Flying has.
- A Jolly nature can be used to outrun neutral nature Mewtwo and Speed tie with maximum Speed Mewtwo, but Aerodactyl misses out on crucial 2HKOs such as Double-Edge against Snorlax with one layer of Spikes.
========
- Magneton is a strong team option, giving Aerodactyl an easier time cleaning teams by trapping Skarmory and Forretress.
- Groudon similarly threatens Steel-types and also appreciates that Aerodactyl pressures Lugia and helps overwhelm walls like Skarmory.
- Forretress or Skarmory provide Spikes, which is incredible for Aerodactyl, as most of its checks like Groudon and Metagross are worn down easily by them, giving it a much easier time breaking through teams.
- Deoxys-A appreciates Aerodactyl being able to switch into Extreme Speed. Aerodactyl can pivot into Rayquaza, and Deoxys-A in return pressures almost every Pokemon in the metagame very hard, especially Steel-types like Metagross and Forretress, which Aerodactyl needs worn down.
Other Options
=============
Pursuit can be used to trap a Deoxys-A locked into Extreme Speed or with Attack drops from Superpower. It almost always OHKOes after one layer of Spikes, but the physical coverage is more useful overall.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Groudon**: Groudon can switch into any of Aerodactyl's moves rather comfortably and threaten to cripple it with Thunder Wave or OHKO with Rock Slide if invested.
**Fast Revenge Killers**: Rock Slide Deoxys-A and weather sweepers like Omastar and Kabutops outspeed Aerodactyl and threaten to OHKO it.
**Steel-types**: Metagross can threaten to OHKO Aerodactyl with Meteor Mash, while Forretress and Skarmory can shrug its hits off and set up Spikes. Jirachi can take its STAB options and Double-Edge and 2HKO with Ice Punch. Metagross and Jirachi must be wary of Earthquake, however.
**Status**: Paralysis from Body Slam Snorlax, burn from Ho-Oh's Sacred Fire, and all other status effects can limit Aerodactyl greatly.
**Deoxys-D**: Deoxys-D avoids being 2HKOed by any move from Aerodactyl, but it can be broken after Spikes with Hidden Power Ghost, so it must be careful with entry hazards up.
[CREDITS]
- Written by: [[Fc, 511624]]
- Quality checked by: [[Lasen, 273339], [Inspirited, 127823]]
- Grammar checked by: [[Itchy, 518399], [autumn, 384270]]
Last edited: